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Buffalo Bills: Updated 2017 Head Coach Candidates

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:37 p.m. ET

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Nov 7, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula reacts during a NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills are ‘all-in’ again, but this time with a coaching search. Who will be the next Bills’ head coach?

There are several names thrown out there and before Buffalo Bills’ fans get excited or stressed out about the names being interviewed — or the final selection — let’s take a guess as to what will happen if selected.

As we get official notice of interviews, we will dive in with a close look at each candidate and what their possible impact could be on the Bills.

With a week into the coaching search, let’s take a look at what all the candidates have in common thus far.

All the candidates interviewed have no NFL head coaching experience, which means the Buffalo Bills may have learned from their previous mistakes of hiring ex-NFL head coaches — like Dick Jauron, Chan Gailey and Rex Ryan.

It has been put out in the media that management wants to go with a 4-3 defense in the next regime. Almost all the candidates interviewed would follow that idea.

Emphasis on hybrid Linebackers will not be a part of the Bills future, putting into question how much value Lorenzo Alexander and Jerry Hughes will have moving forward.

All the candidates interviewed have flaws. If you want to knock them down, you can. If you want to build them up, it may take some work. What my challenge to you is, withhold judgment until you see how they fill out their staffs. Lack of experience in some regard is a common theme to all.

Fact is, the Bills won’t get Josh McDaniels — who was already fired once — and there isn’t an elite coordinator like Adam Gase on the market. More and more coaches are doing double duty as play caller and head coach, which hurts these candidates from getting that experience.

Outside of those trends we will have a lot of assumptions and questions until we hear from our new head coach. Even as confident as I am in the ‘No Retreads’ criteria thus far, you can never rule out a left field hire like Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Mike Smith or Pittsburgh offensive line coach Mike Munchak.

And with that, let’s see who the Bills have talked to since the end of the regular season thus far.  We will update this thread as more interviews are known.

Jul 31, 2015; Pittsford, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running backs coach Anthony Lynn instructs Karlos Williams (40) during training camp at St. John Fisher College. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo Bills’ Interim Head Coach Anthony Lynn

The presumed leader in the clubhouse is current interim head coach Anthony Lynn.

Lynn has 17 years of NFL coaching experience, as well a successful career as a player with the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos — which included a Super Bowl. He has coached Special Teams and more notably Running Backs.

The last two seasons in Buffalo, the Bills’ rushing attack has finished 1st in the NFL. Lynn has lead successful running attacks in Jacksonville, Cleveland and New York prior to his current stint with the Bills.

What We Know

We know that he has the support of the current Bills locker room. He is portrayed as a detail oriented, disciplinarian.

It has been reported that hiring Lynn as your Head Coach means he will bring aboard former Jacksonville head coach Gus Bradley to become the defensive coordinator. That hire means another defensive transition from 3-4 back to a 4-3 defense.

We also know that Lynn prefers to run a West Coast style offense. The trademark of that offense is a short and quick passing game. The impact of that philosophy means you shouldn’t exercise Tyrod Taylor’s contract, who has struggled throwing short and over the middle of the field.

We also know he may have wanted to start Tyrod Taylor in week 17, leading to a desire to fully see what’s out there prior to agreeing to lead Buffalo.

Strengths

He is labeled as a ‘players coach,’ but also a disciplinarian. Having a relationship with Gus Bradley has to be a huge strength.

He has coached under Bill Parcells, Mike Shanahan, Romeo Crennell, Rex Ryan and Jack Del Rio.

His running backs have been highly successful, names that include LeSean McCoy, Fred Taylor, Jamal Lewis and Shonn Greene.

Weaknesses

See how short the strengths paragraph is?

Fact is we don’t know a lot about what exactly Lynn wants his team to look like if he was in charge.  He is one of the least experienced play callers up for the job. How he fills out his staff and runs a group of coaches will determine his success, maybe more than others we will preview.

Best Fit for Him

Buffalo or Denver would be ideal for Lynn.

Buffalo would provide Lynn a head start that most first time Head Coaches wouldn’t have in terms of understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the personnel. Denver is possibly the top job for any of these candidates.

For Lynn, he would love to work for John Elway — whom he has a relationship from his playing days — and has the choice to bring back Wade Phillips who has one of the best defenses in the NFL.

My Take

Lynn knows more than any other candidate what the situation in Buffalo truly is. He knows the locker room, he knows management and he has seen the game film of every Bills game the last two years — prior to getting the job.

Gus Bradley would be an immense hire and one that could make a similar impact to Jim Schwartz. Who Lynn chooses as his offensive coordinator may be the X-Factor of his candidacy because he shouldn’t be calling plays like Mike McCarthy, but more a manager like John Harbaugh.

I would love the hire of Lynn who can keep some offensive continuity and maybe use defensive improvements to get a playoff berth before our window with Incognito, McCoy, Watkins (on his rookie deal) and Jerry Hughes disappear.

On to the next one.

Nov 2, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott stands on the field prior to the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Bank of America Stadium. Carolina defeated Indianapolis 29-26 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Carolina Panthers Defensive Coordinator Sean McDermott

McDermott interviewed with the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday, January 3rd.

While we assume the Bills already have done homework on Anthony Lynn, McDermott may have been the first interview in the process.

What We Know

We know that Sean McDermott is a protégé of long-time Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson. He was let go of DC of the Eagles when Andy Reid’s staff was fired. Lately he has been in Carolina under Ron Rivera and leading a defense that has ranked in the top 10 of total defense in 4 of the past 5 years.

His defense is a 4-3 which fits the rumors of the Bills desire to go back to a 4-3 defensive system, but what makes his style exciting is a heavy amount of disguises and blitzing. The logical assumption would be that he would pluck assistants from Kansas City, Philadelphia and Carolina.

Strengths

Aggression.

McDermott’s defense take a lot of risks and appear to be fun to watch. While his defense this past year dipped following the loss of key players, they still lead the NFC in turnovers.

Would he want an aggressive offense to match his style on defense? We don’t know, but we do know that over the course of time his defenses have held up.

AND it’s not a defense multiple teams are running.

Weaknesses

He has no head coaching experience and could be benefiting from working for a defensive-minded head coach in Ron Rivera. McDermott does call the defensive plays, but how much input is he receiving from Rivera — not only during the season, but in training camp?

We don’t know and we don’t know who he is connected to on offense. Each interviewee should be providing a list of possible assistants they will bring with them.

I doubt he is bringing in Chip Kelly, but he is just as likely as anybody else because we really don’t know.

Best Fit for Him

Since we don’t know what his offense could look like, Jacksonville may be the best fit for his scheme.

Defensively they already run a 4-3, have top tier NFL LBs in Paul Poszluzny and Telvin Smith, and an in-house offense with weapons that would attract top offensive coordinators.

My Take

Great hire in my opinion. This is a copy cat league and the Buffalo Bills always seem to copy way too late. This defense is run in Carolina only and it’s really good.

Seattle’s defense is run by 3 teams and Baltimore’s is run by half the league. That means on defense, more teams are looking for the same players in the draft and free agency. By being more original you have more opportunities to get the best of what you want.

We don’t have Luke Kuechly, but we do have the makings of a dominant defensive line and potential in Reggie Ragland.  McDermott has been a solid coordinator for a longtime, but he had distinct growing pains early. Thus, patience would be needed with him.

While I think the payoffs would be worth it, I question if the front office will wait.

On to the next one.

Dec 27, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin against the Green Bay Packers at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Arizona Cardinals Offensive Coordinator Harold Goodwin

Harold Goodwin is a new name to the NFL coaching searches. He has experience with the Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals.

He also brings experience as an NFL player to the table, which may also make him a ‘players’ coach.

Strengths

You can’t look past his experience as a player. This coaching search while clearly looking at anti-Rex Ryan features, does include all candidates that appear to be strong at relating to players. That skill will be put to the test early if the Buffalo Bills select anybody not named ‘Anthony Lynn’.

The Arizona offense features inventive ways to use WR Larry Fitzgerald and RB David Johnson, who’s skill sets are related to Sammy Watkins and LeSean McCoy. David Johnson had 879 yards receiving this year to go along with 1,239 rushing yards, a stat line that should excite McCoy.

Having scrimmaged vs. the Cardinals defense, he should beat Todd Bowles’ New York Jets, right?

Weaknesses 

Goodwin has called plays for Arizona, but in the preseason only. He has worked under Arians for most of his NFL coaching career, so we don’t know what HE is bringing to the table.

Arizona hasn’t been successful developing young quarterbacks, so why would we assume without Arians, Goodwin can do that?

Best Fit for Him

Goodwin should be hoping for an offer from the San Diego Chargers. Trying to get over the hump with Philip Rivers should be similar to the Carson Palmer offense he worked on.

The Chargers were plagued with injury more than anything, so he could benefit from a healthy roster.

My Take

He is a candidate you can’t ignore, because he and Doug Whaley worked for the Steelers at the same time. He would bring the management style that Anthony Lynn would, but we know even less about his potential staff and defensive preferences.

I wouldn’t like this hire because there isn’t anything I can find to be excited about. Bruce Arians has been one of the best offensive minds in the NFL for several years. Harold Goodwin hasn’t been given the keys to that offense, unless it was a preseason game.

At least Anthony Lynn got 14 games to game plan and call an offense.

On to the next one.

May 26, 2015; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard speaks with media following an OTA practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle Seahawks Defensive Coordinator Kris Richard

Like Harold Goodwin, Kris Richard is a name not many of us are familiar with.

The basics you need to know about Richard is that he has spent his entire NFL coaching career with the Legion of Boom.

He came in with Pete Carroll from USC, was an assistant defensive backs coach and worked his way to defensive coordinator in 2015.

Strengths

I am going out on a limb here. His strength is defensive backs and playing physical.

What the Buffalo Bills’ secondary lacked was that lack of physical presence and aggression that ultimately lead to embarrassing games vs. the Jets and several missed tackles.

He would get a clean slate in Buffalo, with most of the defensive secondary up for free agency.

Weaknesses 

Experience.

While all the candidates thus far lack a feature skill that make them a wildcard, Richard is the least experienced of all of them. He has had an extremely successful stint and like Lynn, his position group has been one of the best in the league.

Unlike Lynn, he hasn’t done that in multiple places and he is leading a defense that has a well established culture. That adds risk to his ability to lead when there is less talent.

Best Fit for Him

Richard is getting interviews this year, but his best fit may be back in Seattle as defensive coordinator. The last two DC’s before him were Gus Bradley and Dan Quinn who went on to being head coaches, so it is only a matter of time.

My Take

I like Kris Richard. I don’t know much about him, but depending on his staff, he could be a nice addition.

The AFC East has a difficult group of WRs to deal with. If he establishes his physical presence in our secondary, it would set the tone that we have been begging our defense to set. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t enjoy seeing Julian Edelman, Jarvis Landry and Eric Decker get leery going over the middle due to big hits from the Bills’ secondary.

Seattle had a tough time versus the Buffalo Bills’ offense this season. IF Anthony Lynn doesn’t get any head coach offers, Richard could keep him on as OC.

Who do you think would be the best fit as the Buffalo Bills’ next head coach? Leave your comments below!

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